Two Pakistanis arrested in Texas in massive US visa fraud racket

Houston: Two Pakistani nationals living in Texas have been arrested for allegedly masterminding a multi-year, large-scale visa fraud and money laundering scheme that helped numerous foreign nationals unlawfully enter and remain in the United States.

Abdul Hadi Murshid, 39, and Muhammad Salman Nasir, 35, were indicted on May 23 by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Texas.

Charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States, visa fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations (RICO) conspiracy. Murshid also faces charges of unlawfully obtaining and attempting to obtain US citizenship.

“This was not merely a case of cutting corners. These defendants are alleged to have engineered an entire criminal enterprise to manufacture immigration benefits for profit,” said Leigha Simonton, US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, in an official statement.

According to the indictment, Murshid and Nasir exploited US visa programmes by submitting fraudulent applications based on fake job listings.

They placed classified advertisements for non-existent jobs to satisfy Department of Labour requirements, enabling fraudulent labour certifications used to file petitions with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for EB-2, EB-3, and H-1B visas.

The operation involved entities such as Reliable Ventures, Inc. and the Law Offices of D. Robert Jones PLLC. Hundreds of petitions were filed claiming US-based businesses were sponsoring skilled foreign workers for jobs that did not exist.

“The scheme involved placing fake classified ads, securing fraudulent labour certifications, and filing immigration petitions based on these fabrications,” said Chad Yarbrough, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office.

“They even created sham payroll transactions to make it appear beneficiaries were employed.” Foreign nationals reportedly paid substantial fees to be included in these fraudulent filings, with a portion returned as fake payroll to simulate employment.

If convicted, the accused face up to 20 years in prison, with Murshid additionally subject to potential denaturalisation.

“Visa programmes like H-1B are meant to attract global talent — not to be gamed by opportunists,” Yarbrough added. “We remain committed to holding accountable those who abuse the US immigration system for personal gain.” The FBI is urging anyone who may have been defrauded in this case to come forward.